Day 1...Adventure 1

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When traveling you know things aren't always going to go your way. You do all you can to ensure that things don't go wrong. But of course you are not the only one traveling, there are so many minuscule things that can go wrong and slip up the well-oiled machine. Can you guess where this is going?

After boarding the plane in Detroit, I was finally settling down and getting excited for this trip. Europe was in sight. My one stop on the way to Nantes was Amsterdam. For those of you who have never been to the Schiphol, it is HUGE. I was warned that an hour layover might not give me enough time to get to my next flight. But I was confident that I could make it, as long as there wasn't any delays.

But sure enough there was.

Sitting on the runway in Detroit for forty-five minutes was no walk in the park. Not only was there a mechanical problem, but also the air conditioning wouldn't start until both engines were running. We had to sit there in the growing heat with nothing to do. So I just sat there basking in the sweet aroma of the smelly German guy next to me who must have forgotten to put on deordorant that morning. It was a pleasant start to my journey.

A quick eight hours later, we were landing in Amsterdam-fifty minutes late. Surely my next flight had finished boarding and was on its way down the runway. I tried to sneak around the mass of people crowding the aisle but didn't get very far. Finally stepping into the airport a woman alerted myself and other annoyed customers that their flights had been rebooked. While waiting at the customer service desk awaiting my fate, I heard a familair voice. A few feet away was my tourism professor. He happened to be on the same flight and was rebooked as well en route to Cologne.

Both having ample time to kill, with no plans, we had a big choice to make. Sit in the airport for hours on end or visit Amsterdam...Easy enough, Amsterdam was our final decision. We found our way to the train station; bought two train tickets at 8,20 a piece, took the quick fifteen minute ride and boom. Amsterdam.

It was everything I had ever dreamed of. Well I felt like I was in a dream, jet lag was nipping at my heels. We just meandered around the main street, walked through the old European style Time Square, then headed east to the famous Red Light District. I will spear the details for everyone's sake. Nonetheless it was a pleasant walk in a cool morning breeze, especially after being on the plane for eight hours. I plan on going back to Amsterdam later on during my travels. But now I can skip the infamous raunchy district and hit the real side of Amsterdam.

As for a quick little side trip, it was the perfect way to turn a bad situation into a good one. Plus, how many people can say they met up with a professor and walked around the Red Light District together? Adventure number one. Check.

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